Paper cutting device



April 30, 1957 H. M. CARSCALLEN PAPER CUTTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 8, 1954 INVENTOR. Henry M. C0r6CO//n April 30, 1957 H. M.CARSCALLEN PAPER CUTTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1954 FIE3 'FIEIJE:

R J m/ w N u w; e c m r r A a C N, V n e H PAPER CUTTING DEVICE Henry M.CarscallemSanMateo, Calif.

AppEicatiOB February-S, 1954, Serial No. 408,784

7 -Claims. (Cl. .164.73)

This invention relates 'to a paper cutting device and has for one ofitsobjects the provisionof a papercutting device that is simple and easyto operate and that accurately cuts paper along a "line without causingthe paper to shift when a considerable number of sheets are cut at onetime.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a-papercutting device having means for tightly clamping paper to be cut toabase, and which means is automatically actuated by movement of thecutter across said base.

The provision of paper-cutters of the type used forcutting a pluralityof sheets at a time, or a single sheet, or light cardboard, and whichtype uses a knife blade that is drawn across a paper support, is notnew, but in such structures a separate paper clamping device is usuallyemployed for clamping the paper to the -base or support. In an operationthe operator'heretofore may position'the paper sheets on the support.Then the operator actuates a clamp to clamp the paper in position on thesupport, and after the paper iscut the clamp must be manually released.

With the present device the operator merely positions the paper on thepaper support and then the bladecarrier is moved across the supportedpaper, cutting it, and is then returned to starting position. Thisactuation of the blade carrier automatically operates -a clamp thatclamps the paper to .the support, and the return movementof the bladecarrier-to starting position automatically releases the clamp so the:paper can be readily removed. Any desired number .ofsheets, within thecapacity of the cutting device maybe cut at onetime, and the clampingmeans automatically accommodates itself to .the number of sheets.

By the foregoing structure a substantial amount of time is saved in acutting operation, and the cutting device is free from a confusingnumber of operations that are present where separate acts are requiredto clamp and to unclamp the paper. Furthermore, heretofore where suchseparately actuated clamps .are required, there have been many instancesin which theoperatorihas forgotten to actuate the clamp, and valuabledocuments, drawings and the like have been ruined. By .the presentdevice an unskilled and inexperienced operator can hardly fail to do asgood a job as .an expert.

Gther objects .and advantages will appear in :the description and in.the drawings.

in the drawings, Pig. 1 :is azperspective :view of the cutting device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary part elevational and partsectional-view vof the tcutter and clamping 'lock with the cutter .andits carrier shown just after it has started .to .cut, and in dot-dashline :the cutter is shown in starting position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged .viewof the carrier for the cutting blade with thehalf carrying :the :blade removed to;show th int or o th cutter and howit actuates the clamping bar.

ited States Patent receive the rod '6.

piormed to .receive said :rollersupport.

car rier into groove :11 .in the clamping that 10.

A boss or projection :21 in the carrier '16 above 'the "Fig. 4 is asectional view :taken :along line -4--14 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is :a top "plan view of the gauge element that is on the ,papersupporting base. C

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along line 6-6 of.Fig. .5.

Fig. '7 is a reduced :size semi-diagrammatic :sectional view through thepaper-supporting base, and :showingzthe actuation of the paper clamp.

Indetail, the baseior'papen-support is .generally-tlesignated 1, and maybe of any suitable material, :such :as .:.a hard .plastic :cornposition:mater'ial, .sheet metal, wood, etc., provided it is :durable and rigid.

This basel is formed iorprovided=withanzupstanding paper aligning ridge2 :along one edge, :the case being preferably rectangular .in outline..ilhis z-ridge "provides a straight shoulder against which the :paperontthesupper side of the base =1' can be aligned.

Base 1 is formed with a straight .-slot '3 extending across .one :endportion' of said base at right angles tto the :ridge 2.

EUpstanding posts .orstandards 4, 15 are secured to :base 1, and whichstandards :are adjacent :to but rotfset :to (one .side .of the ends ofthe slot 3.

51 he upper ends of these standards receiveand :holdthe .ends of arod 16in aposition spaced :above base l'rat @ne side of 'slot.3 and-parallelWithhthfi latter. Bolts [may secure the .lower ends 50f the standardstolsaidrbase (Fig. 2') and theupper.endsI'ofrthestandards are :formedwith .opposedly opening .recesses in which rthetends' :of therod causeit to sospring.

Between :rod 6 and the :base 1 Bis-.a clamping bar (Figs. 1, 7).Thisclamping-bar 10 "has arfairlywide and flat lower rclamp'ing surface:that .may have .ai'friction sur- :face .of rubber or :the dike :that isadapted @to cngage zpap'er positioned :between it ;and base i1, and toprevent-slippage of said paper.

The .upper side of tbar 10 is formed with a central groove 11 (Figs. 1,2) extending longitudinallythereofi illhus said bar may be said to theof ichannel'form'rlinzcross sectional contour with the open .side'ofithe channel di- Iected :upwardly whereby the sides of :thechannelwill reinforce ..the :bar against :any tendency :to bow upwardlyor downwardly at any point therealong. In other-words, it :will staystraight.

As-the clamping .bar .10 is directly below the rod.6 Fig. 4) it is alsoalongside the slot .13. In :fact, one edge of theclampingibar issubstantially even with one side -;.of the slot.

Slidably supported .on the .rod 6 is a blade carr'ier generallydesignated 13. This carrier is :preferabl y cast or stamped in separablehalves 14, 15 that havecornplementarily formed opposed :recesses adaptedto slidably Screw 16 -is adapted to :secure :the 5ha1ves14, '15 togetherso as to snuglyb'ut slidably :hold :the carrier onto :rod '6. iRecesses.19 indicated in :Fig. .3 are :for complementarily formed projections:on half -;15.

Below :the above mentioned recesses that are :for Ted 6, the carrierhalves are recessed :to slidably receive therein a substantially:U-shaped roller "support 17 'QFi'g.

3) :the sides of which :are :vertically slidable against "the inwardlyopposed :straight vertical :sides '18 of the recesses A roller 20 isrotatably carried tbythe lower side of the U-Shaped supportxand extendsdownwardly firorn the 3 roller support 17 is apertured for the screw 16,and at the same time this boss (half being in each of the halves 14, 15)functions to centrally engage the convex side of a leaf spring 22 thatis in the form of a bow, the ends of which bow engage the upper ends ofthe sides 23 of the U-shaped roller support 17 to yieldably urge thesupport downwardly and to urgeroller 20 into groove 11 (Fig. 3). V p

In the absence of anything preventing said roller 20 from urging theclamping bar downwardly against base 1, the said spring 22 will causethe said bar 10 to very tightly clamp the paper to be out against thesupport 1 'urge bar 10 to an elevated position so that the sheets ofpaper to be cut can be slipped between bar 10 and base 1.

When roller 20 is on the rigid member 25 or in the dotdash line position28 (Fig. 2) the bar 10 will be elevated by springs 27, as the operatorgrasps carrier 13 and moves it indirection away from ridge 2, in acutting operation the roller 20 will roll into groove 11 in bar 10 andwill firmly but yieldably urge the bar toward and into clamping relationwith paper that is below said bar. The full line position in Fig. 2, andthe dot-dash line position 29 in Fig. 7 shows the roller 20 in aposition holding bar 10 in clamping position.

A cutter blade 30 (Fig. 2) of substantially rhomboidal outline isreleasably secured against the side of carrier 13 that is above slot 3,so that cutting edge 31 of said blade will slantingly extend into andthrough slot 3. Said blade also has a cutting edge 32 opposite edge 31so as to enable the blade to be reversed, edge for edge, to provide anew cutting edge when one may be dulled.

Preferably, the cutting edges 31, 32 are respectively formed bybevelling the edge at one side of the blade so that the cutting edgewill be planar with the side of the blade that is against the carrier,and said side will virtually be against the side of slot 3 that isnearest the clamping bar 10.

. -.'In this manner when the carrier is drawn across the base away fromridge 2, the paper will be cut by edge 31 and the beveled side of theedge will tend to force the unclamped portion of the paper away from theclamping bar 10.

The bevel 33 shown in Fig. 4 is somewhat exaggerated. Actually it isrelatively slight since the blade is not in- :tended to perform ashearing action, but cuts the paper. The positioning of the cutting edgeat the side of the slot nearest the clamping bar 10 enables the cuttingpoint on the blade to be almost at the clamping bar 10 so there :-wi1lbe no opportunity for the paper to buckle or to tear, even when theblade becomes somewhat dull.

. IA plate 34 is against the side of blade 30 that faces away fromcarrier 13, and this plate clamps the blade against the carrier bymeansof a screw 35 (Fig. 4) that extends through registering openings inblade 30 and plate .34 and into a threaded opening in the corner. A knobor enlargement on one end of said screw facilitates tightening andloosening the blade by rotating said knob.

Asecond opening may be formed in said blade and plate for a positioninglug or projection 37 (Fig. 4) that is rigid on the carrier. Preferably,plate 30 projects below the lower side of thecarrier a short distance asat 38 to reinforce the blade 30 against any tendency to bend during aheavy cutting operation.

I From the foregoing it will be seen that the blade 30 moves with thecarrier, hence, as soon as the paper to be cut is positioned on base 1,and the carrier is moved across the base, the paper will be cut by theblade. Finger depressions 39 found in said carrier facilitate grippingit between the thumb and forefinger of a hand.

The paper will always be firmly gripped by the bar 10 adjacent thecutting blade. However, as the cutting blade moves across the base inslot 3, it is desirable that the paper be held by bar 10 along theportion that has been cut, since there is a strain on the paper at thecutting edge of the blade.

Carried by the standard 5 is a locking device 40 (Fig. 2) in the form ofa generally segmentally shaped element pivotally suspended at 41 to thestandard, and the lower edge 42 of said element is curved eccentricallyrelative to the pivot 41, and is preferably milled or roughened. The endedge of the clamping bar 10 is below the element 40 and is in engagementwith the edge 42 when the said element is free to swing downwardly (Fig.2). A torsion spring 43 tends to keep edge 41 in engagement with the endedge of bar 16 at any level of said bar. However, when carrier 13 ismoved to a position against the standard with roller 20 on the ramp orsupport 25, it will engage the locking element 40 and will swing thelatter to the dot-dash line position 45 out of engagement with bar 10 sothe latter can move upwardly under the influence of springs 26. As soonas roller 20 moves off the support 25 in a cutting operation, and movesthe bar 10 to clamping position, the edge 42 will automatically followthe end of the bar 10 downwardly and will lock said end down againstupward movement until the carrier is returned and releases the lockingelement. Thus it is seen that the bar 10 is clamped down at the lockingelement 40 and at the point where the roller 20 is positioned as thecutter moves across the base.

The upper side of base 1 may be formed with an up wardly openingelongated recess 50 that is spaced from and parallel with ridge 2. Agauge element 51 is slidable in this recess and may be clamped to thebase by a tapered screw 52 (Fig. 6) that extends threadedly into a splittail 53 on said gauge and in said recess (Fig. 5). A knob 54 on saidscrew facilitates tightening and loosening the screw.

Also a scale 55 may be formed in the upper surface of the base (Fig. l)alongside the ridge 2. A separate scale may be at opposite sides of theslot 3 for con venience in measuring the paper to be cut.

It is apparent from Figs. 1 and 2 that the cutting blade .and the lineof cut are clearly visible to an operator at all times during a cuttingoperation, which is of great help in accurately making a cut, for thereare times when the scale 55 or gauge 51 are not used.

It is to be understood that the title paper cutter and the referenceherein to paper are intended to be no more than examples of materialthat the device is intended to cut. The invention is intended for anyuse for which it may be adapted.

I claim:

1. A paper cutter comprising: a flat, horizontal base for supportingthereon paper to be cut and having a slot extending thereacross, a barcarried by said support spaced thereabove and parallel therewith, aclamping bar over said base parallel with said slot and alongside thelatter for clamping paper on said base against the latter, a cuttingblade extending into said slot, a carrier for said blade, said firstmentioned bar constituting means on said base for supporting saidcarrier for movement longitudinally of said slot with said blade in saidslot, means on said carrier in yieldable engagement with said clampingbar during said movement for holding said bar against said paper, and alock movable into locking en gagement'with one end of said bar uponmovement of said carrier in direction away from said one end and towardopposite end of said bar, said lock being positioned for engagement withsaid carrier for movement out of said locking engagement when saidcarrier is moved to said one end of said bar.

' 21 A paper cutter comprising: aiflat,.substantially rectangular,horizontal base for supporting thereon paper to 'be-cut, an aligningridge alongone edge of said base projecting upwardly fromsaid baseforpositioning said paper thereagainst, a slot formed in said baseextending away from said ridge at right angles thereto, a rod carried bysaid base spaced above the latter and parallel with said slot, arelatively rigid clamping bar below said rod along an edge of said slotand parallel therewith, means yieldably supporting said bar spaced abovesaid base for vertical reciprocable movement of said bar toward and awayfrom said base, a carrier supported on said rod for reciprocablemovement substantially from end to end thereof, a member carried by saidcarrier in movable engagement with said bar, means yieldably urging saidmember downwardly for moving said clamping bar toward said base at thepoint on said bar engaged by said member for frictionally holding paperadapted to be positioned between said base and said bar, a cutting bladeon and rigid with said carrier adjacent to said member and extendinginto said slot in all positions of said carrier on said bar for cuttingsuch paper upon movement of said carrier in direction away from saidridge.

3. A paper cutter comprising: a flat, substantially rectangular,horizontal base for supporting thereon paper to be cut, an aligningridge along one edge of said base projecting upwardly from said base forpositioning said paper thereagainst, a slot formed in said baseextending away from said ridge at right angles thereto, a rod carried bysaid base spaced above the latter and parallel with said slot, aclamping bar below said rod along an edge of said slot and paralleltherewith, means yieldably supporting said bar spaced above said base, acarrier supported on said rod for reciprocable movement substantiallyfrom end to end thereof, a member carried by said carrier in movableengagement with said bar, means yieldably urging said member downwardlyfor moving said clamping bar toward said base at the point on said barengaged by said member for frictionally holding paper adapted to bepositioned between said base and said bar, a cutting blade on and rigidwith said carrier adjacent to said member and extending into said slotfor cutting such paper upon movement of said carrier in direction awayfrom said ridge, rigid means adjacent to said ridge onto which saidmember is movable when said carrier is next to said ridge with saidcutter in said slot for supporting said member free from said barwhereby said bar will be free for upward movement.

4. A paper cutter comprising: a flat, substantially rectangular,horizontal base for supporting thereon paper to be cut, an aligningridge along one edge of said base projecting upwardly from said base forpositioning said paper thereagainst, a slot formed in said baseextending away from said ridge at right angles thereto, a rod carried bysaid base spaced above the latter and parallel with said slot, aclamping bar below said rod along an edge of said slot and paralleltherewith, means yieldably supporting said bar spaced above said base, acarrier supported on said rod for reciprocable movement substantiallyfrom end to end thereof, a member carried by said carrier in movableengagement with said bar, means yieldably urging said member downwardlyfor moving said clamping bar toward said base at the point on said barengaged by said member for frictionally holding paper adapted to bepositioned between said base and said bar, a cutting blade on saidcarrier adjacent to said member and extending into said slot for cuttingsuch paper upon movement of said carrier in direction away from saidridge, rigid means adjacent to said ridge onto which said member ismovable when said carrier is next to said ridge for supporting saidmember free from said bar whereby said bar will be free for upwardmovement, locking means automatically movable into engagement with thesaid bar at a point adjacent to said ridge upon i6 downward movementof'said bar underQthe .influenceof said member for holding said barinpaperclamping :position at said point during movement of said carrierand member in direction across said base and away from said ridge.

5. A paper cutter comprising: a flat Substantially rectangular,horizontal base for supporting thereon paper to be cut, an aligningridge along one edge of said base projecting upwardly from said base forpositioning said paper thereagainst, a slot formed in said baseextending away from said ridge at right angles thereto, a rod carried bysaid base spaced above the latter and parallel with said slot, aclamping bar below said rod along an edge of said slot and paralleltherewith, means yieldably supporting said bar spaced above said base, acarrier supported on said rod for reciproc-able movement substantiallyfrom end to end thereof, a member carried by said carrier in movableengagement with said bar, means yieldably urging said member downwardlyfor moving said clamping bar toward said base at the point on said barengaged by said member for frictionally holding paper adapted to bepositioned between said base and said bar, a cutting blade on saidcarrier adjacent to said member and extending into said slot for cuttingsuch paper upon movement of said carrier in direction away from saidridge, rigid means adjacent to said ridge onto which said member ismovable when said carrier is next to said ridge for supporting saidmember free from said bar whereby said bar will be free for upwardmovement, locking means automatically movable into engagement with thesaid bar at a point adjacent to said ridge upon downward movement ofsaid bar under the influence of said member for holding said bar inpaper clamping position at said point during movement of said carrierand member in direction across said base and away from said ridge, saidlocking means being in the path of travel of said carrier when thelatter is moved toward and to the end of said rod that is nearest tosaid ridge and movable under the influence of said carrier out of aposition holding said bar in clamping position upon movement of saidmember onto said rigid means.

6. In a paper cutter having a flat, substantially rectangular base onwhich paper to be cut is adapted to be supported, and having a slotextending thereacross and a carrier having a cutting blade extendinginto said slot and means supporting said blade for its movement; aclamping bar between said carrier and said base parallel with and alonga side of said slot, springs supporting said bar spaced above said base,a cam-like lock swingingly supported over one end of said clamping barand having an arcuately downwardly directed edge engageable with saidbar at difierent points along said arcuate edge according to the spacingbetween said bar and said base for holding said bar against difierentthicknesses of paper during said movement.

7. A paper cutter comprising; a base having a flat, horizontal, uppersurface for supporting thereon paper to be cut, a clamping bar extendingacross said upper surface and having a paper engaging lowerside parallelwith and facing said surface, means supporting said bar spaced abovesaid surface for movement of said bar toward said surface for clampingsaid paper against the latter, a cutting blade, a carrier, means forremovably securing said blade rigid with said carrier, means forsupporting said carrier for movement thereof longitudinally of said barsubstantially from end to end thereof and across said base with saidcutting blade in cutting relation to said paper, bar actuating means onsaid car rier movable into engagement with said bar for moving the partof said bar adjacent to said blade into clamping engagement with paperon said surface as said carrier is moved from one end of said bar to theother end, and means carried by said base separate from said baractuating means cooperatively associated with the latter for releasablyholding the portion of said bar extending from Said 'carrier to said oneend of said bar in 894,617 clamping relation to paper on said surfaceupon move- 1,343,722 ment of said carrier toward said other end of saidbar. 1,732,148

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS8314) 427,170 Girtanner May 6, 1890 8 Pearson July 28, 1908 Hosch June15, 1920 Barrett Oct. 15, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS France May 30, 1938

